Shoulder pad



R. E. RILEY SHOULDER PAD March 22, 1949.

Filed Nov. 19; 1945 INVENTOR. RVFH A 51 "Ed/Lad Him ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1949 SHOULDER PAD Ruth E. Riley, Los Angeles, Calif. Application November 19, 1945, Serial No. 629,624

REISSUED 7 Claims. (OI. 2-268) 1 My invention relates to a shoulder pad. An important object of the invention is to provide a shoulder pad of cushion rubber, sponge rubber or what is known in the trade as "Airfoam rubber, or any other similar product.

Another object is to provide an unbroken upper surface but to provide a plurafity of recesses on the lower side in order to lighten same.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an easily removable shoulder pad, whereby it can be placed in other garments and in order that the garment and the pad may be separately laundered.

A still further object is to provide means to soften the edge of the shoulder pad so that there may not be a sharp line of demarcation around the pad. v

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts. which will more fully ap-- pear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder pad, embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged, longitudinal section through said embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, showing the covering material removed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference number 5 designates generally the resilient body of my shoulder pad. This pad is, generally speaking, of light-weight, porous rubber material. Examples of suitable material are cushion rubber, sponge rubber or what is known in the art as Airfoam" rubber. or any similar product. A continuous top surface 6 of the body is rounded in any suitable and fashionable contour, while the sides! and 8 extend downwardly front and back. I

The under side of the pad has a plurality of substantially parallel recesses I 0. These recesses are preferably arranged substantially parallel rather than radiating from a common center, in order to cut out a maximum amount of the 2 material, for lightening purposes. The inner portion l2 tapers. to an edge, while the outer side l3 provides the lift for the shoulder.

The rubber pad is preferably covered with fabric material. Stitched pieces of fabric or felted material may be folded around the rubber pad, covering all sides thereof. The material is preferably of sufilclent size that it can overlap upon itself, as shown at M. These overlapping portions H are stitched together at IS. The edge It of the material may be pinked, if desired. A crescent-shaped end part l8 of the covering is sewn along the upper and lower edges l9 and 20 to the top side 2| and to the under side 22, respectively, of the covering. This arrangement provides a snug fit for the covering on the body member.

Snap elements I! are arranged along the top and sides of my present pad. Therewith cooperating snap elements may be sewn to'the garment in which my pads are placed.- By reason of this snap connection, my pads may be easily removed for laundering or replacement.

The use of my shoulder pads is believed clear from the foregoing. They are used to build up the shoulders of garments. The shape thereof can, of course, vary, style, without departing from the idea of the light-weight, porous rubber material having relatively large voids as well as small ones, or may be made entirely of porous rubber.

It is to be understood that in this specification and in the hereto appended claims, the word rubber shall be interpreted to include both synthetic and natural rubber, and cloth shall be interpreted to include both fabric and felted material.

' WhileI have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.,In a shoulder pad, a porous, light-weight, rubber body member of wedge shape'in longitudinal section and having'depending portions at the sides thereof to embrace the front and back of the shoulder, the body member having longitudinally and transversely dispersed, relatively large, substantially parallel voids extending updepending upon the current wardly mm the bottom thereof atone Short member to soften the appearance therof in a gar-.

ment.

2. In a shoulderpad, a cross-sectionally wedgeshaped body of resilient material having a convex outline and side portions adapted to overlap the front and back of the shoulder, said body having a plurality of vertical, spaced members depending from the top thereof and providing resilient supports for the body, said members being graduated in length from the thinnest portion of the wedge body to the thickest portion thereof. and a cover for said body.

3. A shoulder pad comprising a body of resilient material having side portions adapted to overlap the front and back of a. shoulder, said body having a plurality of vertical, spaced, resilient legs depending from the top thereof and providing a support for the body, said legs varying in length from'on'e end of the body tothe other. and the lower free ends of said legs being curvilinear to conform to the contour of a shoulder, and a cover for said body.

4. A shoulder pad comprising a hollow unitary member of light, resilient material, resistant to heat and cleaning chemicals, generally of isosceles triangular shape in plan, concavely curved on its lower surface and convexly curved on the upper surface thereof, the interior of the pad being hollowed and having a plurality of spaced stiffening ribs extending from the underside of the upper surface to the plane of the lower surface, the height of the stiffening ribs decreasing progressively from the base end of the triangular plan to the apex ,end thereof.

5. A shoulder pad comprising a hollow unitary member of light, resilient material, resistant to heat and cleaning chemicals, generally of isosceles triangular shape in plan, concavely curved on its-lower surface and convexly curved on the.

upper surface thereof, the interior of the pad being hollowed and having a plurality of spaced stiffening ribs extending from the underside of the upper surface to the plane of the lower surface, the height of the stiffening ribs decreasing progressively from the base end of the triangular plan to the apex end thereof, in which the ribs are spaced apart as to provide four sided openingstotheinterlor ofthepad.

6. A shoulder pad comprising a hollow unitary member of light, resilient material resistant to the action of heat and cleaning chemicals, which pad is generally of isosceles triangular shape in plan, the base of the triangle being adapted to overlie the outer end of the shoulder and the apex end thereof being adapted to overlie the inner end of the shoulder, the upper surface of the pad being convexly curved and the under surface thereof being concavely curved, the interior of the pad being hollow, and the degree of curvature of the upper and lower surfaces decreasing from the base end towards the apex end thereof, and having a plurality of widely spaced apart integral stiffening ribs inside the pad, the height thereof decreasing from the base towards the apex end thereof.

7. A shoulder pad comprising a hollow unitary member of light. resilient material, convexly curved on its upper surface and concavely curved on the lower surface, with a plurality of spaced apart rib members extending from the undersideof said upper surface for contact with the shoulder of a wearer, therib members varying in height to conform-to the contour of wearer's shoulder.

RUTH E. RILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number 

